The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1887-02-04

e.
"Why," said one OF the GROWERS to me, ~
dare not drive nail in the house where ]
live, put up shelf or change closet par
tition"
"And if it were my house shouldn't want
You driving nails i'll it, either" / replied.
Moreover, my friend, a woman in the next
block has just told me that one of the de-
lights of Pullman life is tho care the com
pany exercises in repairing the houses
Everything is done promptly and perfectly,
she tells me- Send word to the office, and
within an hour the workman-plumber, car
penter or gastitter-will be on hand No
waiting for days and days, no fighting with
the landlord"
"But Pullman makes me sign an iron clad
lease, in which he has all the rights and
none. He takes my rent out of my wages
every month, too"
"The lease you sign is just such one as l
have to sign i'll Chicago. And as for the
rent, You want to pay it when it is due, do
you not"
These are samples of the petty complaints
occasionally heard. More worthy of atten-
tlon Is the objection to the Pullman idea of
controlling everything. The residents have
no voice i'll local matters. There are no home
polItics, no caucuses, no town meetings
Pullman attends to all affairs of local gov
ernment and consults only his own wishes
This state of affairs" say the critics, "is un-
American. 1t destroys citizenship. What
safeguard is there left for the liberties of the
the peopleg Pullman answers with q chal-
lenge to show wherein he docs not well use
his power. at is truc," he says, "that am
master here, but do use my authority arbi-
tduTiiy, uTH t unjust, neg iigent OF iIdiff-
ferent to the affairs of my peoples Would
things be any better if we had local politics,
with the corruption, extravaganza and mis-.
management surely following? In managing
this city pursue business principles through
mt W. sr,&N -. : IN
the tenants"
Even the critics are compelled to admit
that Pullman is just and proper governor.
Things go right and not wrong When they
go all wrong it will be time to condemns the
controlling power But of those who indulge
III the sentimentality that Pullman is fail
ure because the public affairs are not man.
aged through the town meeting, the caucus
and the ballot box-because citizenship is re-.
pressed-let me ask what proportion of work.
lngmen in any community really enjoy voice
in local government? How much better than
Pullnlanisin is that citizenship which gives
to clique of pot house politicians tho actual
control of things, and which fastens upon % the
public treasury coterie of chronic leeches?
How many workingmen in so-called self
governed cities find benefit to their purse
betterment of their morals, increase of con-
tent or happiness in their associations with
politicians! 1t may be un-American to say
are going all wrong and Tweed ring is TO
be broken up, the precious right of suffrage
is largely delusion and a farce Politics
too often means absence from home, neglect
of work, indulgence and idleness Pullman
is fortunate in having no local politics, mas
much as the one politician is business man.
The only voter, the only taxpayer, the auto
crat OF the town, man whose interest i'm the
towns prosperity and in the proper manage
ment of its affairs is at least equal to that of
all others combined. am not recommend
ing a monocracy for New York, Chicago,
Kansas City, st. Paul or Buffalo In Pull
man it is a positive benefit to all concerned,
a hardship to none. The social organization
of Pullman is such that the monocrat or
whoever represents him must use his best
skill and energy to keep all at work, all well
paid, all content, all healthy, all happy
Failure to do this is his own failure and ruin.
In this sort OF union there lies the strength OF
the Pullman idea.
The critics have said that there was discon-
tent in Pullman. In what community is
there not discomfort! Human nature is the
same everywhere, and there is no heaven en-
earth. A dozen visits to Pullman and gen.
eral conversation with its inhabitants of all
classes have failed to disclose to me any evil
delices OF unusual discomfort Some work.
men growl at their wages and at the foreman
and "the company" But have seen such
GROWERS in all factories few women com 4
plain that their houses are not as nice as they 4
thought they were going to be, but COM
plants OF the landlord are by no means un-
usual even in the happiest OF towns which
are anything but aun-American." /
| wish to make the statement as emphatic
rs possible that there is in Pullman more gen.
1lne content among men, women and chill
1ren than in any other community of tenants,
poor or well to do, with whose social life
am familiar g'
l,a cko1.o
ootisln in Pullman, no unusual discomfort.
But-and here the critics who set down Pull
man as failure may prick up their ears
here are no home owners Here is the secret
u the little bit of dry rot that has crept into
his social organization. The Pullman me-
'hanic, who made one good step forward by
getting away from politics and pot houses.
low desires to make another by getting a |
lome of his own. In large community of
money saving workers it would indeed be |
II there were not many with the |
homestead ambition. Repression of home |
'wning is indeed n-American and one of the |
efects OF the Pullman idea as originally put |
n practice. But Pullman has already per- |
eived this, am glad to announce, and has
lready applied the remedy. just across the |
allway tracks from that pretty station 100 |
cres of ground have been plotted and put
pom the market The tenants and operatives
yer the way are rapidly buying lots, and
l ready some have erected their own houses.
he company has also built a number of
ouses to be sold upon the instalment plan,
nth an insurance feature added If pur-
haser dies after making but partial payment
pom the home the debt is cancelled and the
idow becomes owner in frill This oppor-
unity for home getting gives to Pullman the
st requirement of social perfection, as socia.
ERECTION goes in this imperfect world. The
ritics are wrong, and Pullman is a success.
WALTER WELLMAN.